For the first time in conference history, two
#SunBelt
programs get wins over Top 10 teams in the same day.
Itβs a great day to be a fan of our conference!
πGOING BOWLINGπ
12 of 14
#SunBelt
teams are bowl eligible this season. ODU, Louisiana, and Marshall all secured bowl eligibility this weekend. JMU will also participate in their first bowl game as an FBS program.
The SBC is now expanded to 14 football members. Quality fanbases, facilities, and brands. Weβve got multiple Top 25 caliber programs. Five years ago our conference was widely consider the bottom of the G5. With the dust settled, we will now compete for the top G5 spot.
#SunBelt
Today marks the beginning of a new era of the Sun Belt Conference. Marshall, James Madison, Southern Miss, and Old Dominion are now officially members of our conference. Welcome aboard!
#SunBelt
What a great first season for GJ Kinne at Texas State. The Bobcats are a season removed from 4-8. They finish this season 8-5 with the programβs first ever bowl win. Final:
#TXST
45, Rice 21.
#SunBelt
STATEMENT WIN! James Madison wins their first conference game as an FBS program, taking down the Eastern division favorites.
Final
JMU 32
App State 28
#SunBelt
#SunBeltFB
Troy shouldβve finished the regular season ranked. They are 10-2 with losses to then No. 15 Kansas State and JMU. Complete disrespect being overlooked the way they have been.
@AP_Top25
Nine Sun Belt teams are bowl eligible this season. That is the most bowl eligible Sun Belt teams since 2013. (7)
Coastal Carolina
JMU
Marshall
App State
Georgia Southern
Troy
South Alabama
Louisiana
Southern Miss
Hate how ESPNβs βhalftime reportβ on the USM/USA broadcast doesnβt discuss the game being played and immediately starts talking about ranked P5 teams who donβt even play tonight.
The Sun Belt is a Power conference. Three wins over P5 teams in one day, two of those Top 10 wins. Itβs been a great weekend. Excited for more
#SunBelt
football.
Here are our
#SunBelt
Preseason Rankings.
We compiled our Sun Belt affiliatesβ division rankings as well as our conference champion pick (
@SSN_AppState
)
Agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments. β¬οΈ
Special thanks to
@SSN_GASouthern
for helping put this together.
Sun Belt Champions since the inception of the conference title game:
2018 - App State
2019 - App State
2020 - Louisiana, *Coastal Carolina
2021 - Louisiana
2022 - Troy
Who wins it in 2023?
Marshall takes on an undefeated JMU at home tonight. Can the Thundering Herd take down the top dog in the
#SunBelt
? Letβs see those score predictions.
The Sun Belt was favored against both Virginia and Virginia Tech. The conference has elevated itself greatly since expansion. Weβll continue to get wins over these βpower schools.β
Several reasons why the
#SunBelt
will compete for the Top G5 conference:
-Rivalries old & new
-Regionally compact
-Great fanbases & tradition
-Great athletic programs
Thereβs nothing really more you could ask for.
The AAC and Sun Belt could merge to become a super league at this point. Both conferences already have a tv contract with ESPN. Possibly some schools get poached by whatβs left of the power conferences and the remaining G5 schools combine.
ββI think youβll see all (four) schools in all sports, with the exception of James Madison football, to start competing in the Sun Belt next season for the 2022-2023 academic year,β Maggard stated.β
Hereβs just some of the
#SunBelt
conference matchups weβre most excited for this season. What games are you most excited to see?
AppSt @ Marshall
Louisiana @ SoMiss
JMU @ ODU
CCU @ GaState
Louisiana @ Marshall
GaSo @ GaSt
Troy @ USA
USA @ SoMiss
With news of the AAC potentially inviting several C-USA schools, could this be the new
@SunBelt
conference? Also, will Keith Gill make a move or be complacent with the current membership?
#SunBelt
UNTβs overall football record since 2014 is 43-57 and their last winning season was in 2018. UNT also has not won a bowl game since 2013. Please do not bring up football ever.
Marshall, USM and ODU are leaving CUSA in the summer.
Those 3 are currently 3 of the 5 worst basketball schools in the conference, and since 2013 they have a combined 1 championship in football, 2 in basketball, and only Marshall has made a bowl since 2019.
What schools would be the most likely to join the Sun Belt? Any mentioned that wouldnβt be a good fit?
Here are some names being thrown around: Southern Miss, Marshall, JMU, and North Texas.
#SunBelt
College football is HERE! Connect with your Sidelines Sun Belt affiliate accounts for coverage of your favorite teams this season! Twitter handles are below β¬οΈ
App Stateβs fanbase can hang with any βPower Fiveβ fanbase.
@CollegeGameDay
is electric today. Hope they visit more Sun Belt campuses in the future.
@SSN_AppState
There will be no alcohol sales at the SEC Championship game today. However, there will $2 Nattys at the
#SunBelt
Championship game. It Just Means More.
It has to be said, the Sun Belt has the most undervalued TV contract in all of FBS. Based on the quality of member institutions and product on the field, the monetary return for the SBC should be up there with the AAC and MWC.
Two former players are now the head coaches of their alma mater in the Sun Belt.
Shawn Clark, Offensive Guard, β94-98, Appalachian State
Michael Desormeaux, Quarterback, β05-08 Louisiana
Both are also preseason favorites of their respective divisions.
Missed opportunity here. Instead of granting JMU a waiver on their reclassification period, (they have clearly transitioned to FBS) the NCAA continues to prove its incompetence.
Louisiana still holds the longest active win streak in college football. They are now at 1οΈβ£5οΈβ£ straight wins after beating Eastern Michigan 49-21.
The Raginβ Cajuns have not lost a football game in 372 days.
πππππππππ πππππ π³
JMU reels in 11 votes in the
@usatodaysports
Coaches' Poll following yesterday's epic win.
π°
#GoDukes
π§ππ π¦π¨π‘ ππ¦ π₯ππ¦ππ‘π.
@JMUSports
will join the Sun Belt Conference as a full member on July 1, 2022. βοΈ
π° Β»